Golf club



April 28 W25.

C. vFISHER .GOLF CLUB Filed April 6. 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. 4CHARLES 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB, BY DIRECT IESNE AS- SIGNMENTS, TOyTHE AUTOMATIC RECORDING SAFE COMPANY, Ol'v CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION F ILLINOIS.

GOLF CLUB.

Application led April 6, 1921. Serial No. 459,053.

Tov all whom t may colwm: a

Be it known that I, CHARLES FISHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ll of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Golf Clubs, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates particularly to golf clubs; and the primary object is to provide'a golf club having a collapsible shaft,

enabling the club to be conveniently carriedin a suit-case. A further object is to provide a golf club with a. shaft of the character mentioned, which can be cheaply manup 15' factured, 'which is strong and durable, and

which can be changed from the collapsed to the extended condition, or vice versa," with great facility.

The invention is illustrated in its preaccompanying Fig. 1 represents an elevational view of a .golf club embodying the invention; Fig. 2,

an enlarged broken sect-ional View of the shaft; Fig. 3, an end view of the lower sectionof the shaft; and Fig. 4, a broken sectional view, showng a modification.

-'lhe club comprises a club head A; and a shaft B, composed of telescopic sections.

In' the illustration given, the shaft B comprises a lower section B which is secured to the club head in vthe usual manner, and a tubular handle-section B2 having telescopic connection with the section B.

The shaft-section B', in vthe illustration given, is lformed of woo-d, and has its upper end fitted witha taper met-al ysleeve or ferrule 1. The upper end of the shaft-section B is preferably reduced to receive the ferrule, as indicated at 2. The reduced end is provided with a bore 3, from which radiate slits 3a. In the illustration' given, the slits 3 divide the upper end portion ofthe reduced section 2 into four sectors. A taper pin 4 is driven, as a wedge, into the central perforation 3,*thus expanding the wood within the metal sleeve 1. .Before .the wedging operation is performed, the parts are entered so as to be in telescopic relation with the tubular handle B2.

The handle B2 'preferably comprises a seamless steel tube 5, which has its upper port-ion equipped with a grip 5, and which has its lower portion tapered, as indicated at 5b. The grip 5a may be composed of leather, rubber or any ldesirable material, applied to the outer surface of the handle portion proper of the tube 5. The upper end of the tube 5 is closed by a plug 6, which preferably has a reduced threaded portion aextending into the tube and engaging internal threads wfth which the upper end of the tube is provided.

The taper lit between the sleeve 1 and the lower end 5b is indicated at 7 The taper should be very gradual. The parts may be rigidly secured. together in extended relation by a quickflongitudinal jerk of the club,

while the handle is grasped in the hand, the momentum of the lower portion ofthe club beng sufficient to effectively wedge'the parts together. It may be noted that in the 'actionofswinging the club in driving a. ball, the centrifugal force which results serves to wedge the parts more ti htly together.- The c lub may be collapsed y lnverting it and tapping the handle a ainst thepavement, for example, which will readily loosen the parts at the taper joint so that the shaftsection B may then be almost completely telescoped within the handle-section l.y

It may be added that the parts .ma be in this completely telescoped relation be ore the wed e 3 is-driven in to expand the socket portion 2 of the shaft-section B.

In the modiication shown in Fi 4, the -same'parts are used, and correspon ing ref-4 erences are employed in Fig... 4. In this case, however, the wed e pin 4 is replaced by awedge screw 4a. hould it be desired, this wedge screw may be turned further in to cause expansion of the sleeve 1. This is a positive means for effecting a greater gripping action between they sleeve 1 and the lower portion 5b of the tubular handle-section. In practice, however, this is unnecessary, inasmuch as, when a very gradual taper is employed,-the joint shown in Fig. 2 is Aample to secure the shaft-sections in extended rigid relation.

:While the lower shaft-section B preferably is ofwood, it may be of steel or other material. Also, it is preferred to employ two shaft-sections of approximately the same length, which insures a desirable flexibility of the shaft. I-Iowever, the shaft may be made in three sectibns if desired.

It will bevnotedpthat the club-head A is of the usual angular form, and thus the clubrule 1 and the lower portion 5" of the'tubu- I lar member B2 of exceedingly gradual taper, that is, diverging only very slightly from a true cylindrical surface, it is possible to so Wedge the inner member Within the outer member by utilizing the inertia of the club-head and lower shaft-sectiony when the handle section is jerked with relation theretop to so firmly bind the parts together as to avoid all danger of angular movement. of the members with relation to each other in the use of the club. Moreover, the centrifugal force which is the result of the inertia of the club-headand lower shaft-section when the club is swung tends to increase the wedging effect. The handle section B2, which is the housing section, is of larger diameter than the club-hefad section of the shaft. In other words, there is a general downward taper of the shaft 'Tas a whole. The housing section B2 and the? club-head section B are of approximately the same length, so that in the collapsed condition, the length is reduced to "about one half. In effect, the upper'end of -the club-head section is expanded so that its exterior diameter (measured across the ferrule 1) is greater than the internal diameter of the lower end of the portion 5b of the tubular handle B2. The ferrule 1 can, of course, be applied to .the upper end of the club-head shaft-section after the latter has mesme been inserted through the lower end of the tubular handle and the parts brought to the collapsed position.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in View of the prior art.

What I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A golf club comprising an angular club-head, and a shaft comprising a tubular handle-section of relativelyl large diameter .which is provided with a downwardly tapering lower end portion, and a shaft-section of smaller diameter having its lower end secured to the club-head and having its upper end expanded and provided with a downward taper, said sections being of substantially equal length and in telescoped relation when the club is collapsed and said expanded portion being operative to bind the sections together by inertia of one part when the other is moved with relation thereto.

2. A golf club comprising a tubular handle-section provided with a downwardly tapering lower end portion, a wooden shaftsection having a reduced extremity extending into said handle and equipped with a downwardly tapering ferrule, said reduced extension being expanded within said ferrule,and an angular club-head' secured to the lower end of said wooden shaft-section,

vsaid sections being of approximately equal n length and adapted to telescope with relation to each other and said sections being adapted to be securely bound together in the extended position by action of inertia.

CHARLES FISHER. 

